Scaffolding



Jan. 3, 1939. M. MICHELSON SGAFFOLDING Filed Nov 16, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR MAX MICHE 50A! A ORNEY Jan. 3, 1939. M. MICHELSON I 2,142,651

SCAFFOLDIN G Filed Nov. 16, 1937 2'S heets-Sheet 2 lll-lilllllllf VENTOR IN MAX MlCfiyN Acm/nd/M/ WATTORNEY Patented Jan. 3, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 6 Claims.

This invention relates to scaffolding and more particularly to scaffolding of the outrigger type employed by masons and bricklayers for erecting walls of buildings.

The outrigger type of scaffold now in use by masons and bricklayers comprises wooden beams and planks which protrude through window openings and holes in erected portions of walls and anchored in various ways to floor beams or the like. These scaffolds are often flimsy and unsafe particularly when wooden horses are set upon them to raise the workers to a higher level. These scaffolds may only be assembled at each story and only when a story is complete with floor beams or floor arch in place, may another scaffold be erected at the next higher story. The building contractor must carry a large supply of the timbers comprising the scaffolds and a great deal of labor is necessary to knock-down, transport, and re-erect the scaffold at an upper level.

To obviate the above faults, the present invention seeks to provide an outrigger scaffold which may be raised in short increments to higher levels and similarly lowered to lower levels without disassembly of the scaffold and which, despite its portability and flexibility, is strong, durable, and safe.

The invention contemplates the provisions of scaffolds comprising frame portions adapted to be secured to erected parts of the structure to which it is attached, supporting guide rails from said portions, supporting outrigger members from said guide rails, and incorporating hoist means connecting the rails and the outrigger members so the latter may be raised or lowered in relation to the former.

The invention also contemplates the provision of latch dogs pivotally carried by the rails for engaging rungs on the outrigger member for safely hanging said outrigger member from said rails.

Another feature resides in the provision of means for moving the latch dogs out of the path of the rungs on the outrigger member when being lowered.

A still further feature resides in the form of construction of the frame portions which are secured to the building structure, said frames being formed with means for engaging the outrigger guide rails and with means for supporting planks or sleepers for use of bricklayers erectingthe inner portion of building walls.

Many other objects, features, and advantages of the invention will become apparent as this disclosure progresses. The following detailed specification which is based on the accompanying drawings, seeks to describe a scaffold incorporating the features of the invention, which in the drawings, are illustrated in their present preferred embodiments. 5

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view through a building wall to which a scaffold, as at present contemplated, is applied.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary detail vertical sectional 1 view showing one manner of supporting the guide rails and the hoist.

Fig. 3 is a similar view of a preferred manner of supporting the outrigger from the guide walls.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a preferred form 15 of rail supporting frame.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the rail showing its manner of construction.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a preferred form of outrigger.

Fig. 7 is a transverse sectional view, to an enlarged scale, and taken substantially on the line 1-1 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings in greater detail, there is shown at 10, a wall of a building struc- 25 ture in the process of erection, said wall being formed in the usual manner of face brick and fill brick. In the usual manner, the structure is provided with floor joists II and window openings I2. 30

As part of the scaffolding herein contemplated, there is provided a plurality of support frames [3, each of which may be securely fastened to a joist as by means of the U-straps I4, or if a floor arch is used instead of the joists, the frames l3 may be 35 held in position by means such as the shore beams shown at I5 to obviate forming holes in the floor arch for the U-straps.

Each frame I3 is preferably fabricated of structural steel members to form a substantially rectangular portion l6, braced at its corners by straps or gussets ll. The frames are positioned in close proximity to the wall in and each is formed with a forwardly and upwardly extending triangular portion [8 which includes a channel member l9 extending below the base of said triangular portion I8 which is positioned in one of the window openings I2 with the back of the channel I9 adjustably positioned relative to and parallel with the outer face of the wall I 0. 50

As a further sup-port for the frames l3, each channel I9 is provided with an angle member 20 adapted to rest upon the window sill or on such blocks as may be placed there for their protection. The angle 20 is adjustable in its vertical posi 55 tion, being adapted to be bolted through any of the holes 2| in the channel l9.

It will be noted that the frames I3 are each provided with a horizontal frame member 22 and upon these may be placed planks or the like to form a work platform for masons or bricklayers, laying the fill brick of the wall I0.

The frames l3 are adapted to support the guide rails 23, which comprise the sections 24. Each section is preferably formed of channels 25 in back to back relation and spaced from each other. Within the space, which is determined by the length of the spacer pins 26, there are mounted at least two latch dogs 21, each being swingable on the bolts 27 the lower edge of the flange 28 of each dog serving to contact the outer face of the rail section 24, to hold them in an upwardly and forwardly directed position. As will be later seen, these dogs are adapted to be swung back to a substantially vertical position.

Each rail section is formed at one end with a pair of extensions 29 which are adapted to telescopically engage the respective outer faces of the webs of the channels 24 and to be bolted thereto. In this manner the guide rails are made continuous and may be extended upwardly or downwardly as desired.

The guide rails are supported from the frames 13 as by means of bolt hooks 30 carried by the channels I 9 and engaged with the pins 26 of said guide rails.

Engaged with the guide rails and arranged to move vertically thereon, there is provided an outrigger member 3|. This member comprises a pair of channels 32 in spaced relation and with their webs arranged inwardly to each other, a pair of angles 33 secured to the tops of the channels 32 and extending forwardly therefrom, and a pair of angle braces 34 connecting the outer ends of the angles 33 with a lower portion of the channels 32. In this manner a rigid and strong, yet light, outrigger member is formed.

Between the channels 32 are arranged a plurality of equally spaced rungs 35 which are adapted to engage the free end of each of the latch dogs 21 as most clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 3, to support the outrigger in the manner of a bracket. The rungs 35 are spaced in increments of an even denominator with the spacing of the latches so that at least two of said latches are at all times engaged with said rungs. Since the flanges 28 of the latch dogs are engaged against the outer flanges of the channels 25 and since the rungs 35 are disposed inwardly of the supporting ends of said dogs, the outrigger tends to maintain its relational position with the guide rail. In this manner the outrigger is safely supported by the guide rails.

To prevent inadvertent lateral displacement of V the outrigger, the outrigger is provided with a plurality of extensions 36 each having notches 3! engaged over the forward flanges of the rails 24. Thus, when the outrigger is moved up or down, it will do so in a substantially vertical line without wobble or sway. In addition, the flanges 28 of the dogs are formed with additional flanged portions 28 which engage against the inner flanges of the channels 32 of the outrigger to prevent outward displacement of said outrigger when said dogs are moved inward out of the path of the rungs 35. This is best seen in Fig. 7.

To move the outrigger, there is provided a hoist 38 which is suspended from a bracket 39 hooked to one of the pins 26 of an upper rail section and provided with a chain 40 hookedly engaged with a plate 4| carried by the outrigger. The hoist is provided with a handle 42 for shortening or lengthening the effective length of said chain.

When the outrigger is being raised, its rungs 35 will ratchet by the latch dogs 21 so that each rung below a latch dog may become engaged therewith for supporting the outrigger and it may be seen that the spacing of said rungs controls the increment of rise of the outrigger. Although the chain 40 may usually be depended on for supporting the outrigger in intermediate positions, this is entirely unnecessary it being undesirable to support the outrigger from the chain. However, should the chain fail for some reason, the outrigger can fall only till a rung 35 engages a latch 2l-a matter of a few inches. From the foregoing, the safety of the present arrangement is quite apparent.

When the outrigger is moved upward to close proximity to the bracket 39, said bracket may be hooked to a higher disposed pin 26 on the same rail section or to a pin on a rail section removed from below the outrigger and fastened to the top of the then highest rail section. In this way, step by step, as the wall ID is erected, the rail sections are transposed and the frames l3 also transposed from floor to floor upwardly.

When the top of the structure is reached, the scaffolding may be dismantled if .desired. However, it is usually necessary to clean the face of the wall which has been erected, to rid it of excess mortar, lime smudges, and the like. Hence, it is desirable to start the outrigger downward to accomplish this.

The reverse of the method for raising the outrigger is carried out. But in this instance the latch dogs must be moved from the path of the rungs as the outrigger descends. So, preparatory to lowering the outrigger, it is first lifted slightly off the latches to free them, and the plate 43, carried by the outrigger, is swung by the handle 44 to engage the free ends of the latches 21 to rock them out of the path of the rungs 35. The edge of said plate now serves to hold the latches in this position so that the outrigger may be lowered to a point where the previously engaged rungs 35 have moved past the latch ends. The plate 43 is swung back to free the latches which now assume a position in the path of the descending rungs to engage said rungs. Thus, step by step, the outrigger may be lowered.

As will be seen from the lower portion of Fig. l, the lowermost latch of a rail 24 would ordinarily impede the downward travel of the outrigger. By reaching through the window opening I2, a man may swing said latch upward and set a pin through the aligned openings 45 in the latch and rail channel 25 to hold said latch substantially upright until it may be engaged by the plate 43. The pin is then removed and said latch may act as those above described. From the foregoing it may be seen that the lowering of the outrigger is as safe an operation as the raising thereof.

The foregoing description covers merely one station of a plurality arranged along the width of a wall. These may be spaced as desired and between adjacent Outriggers there is placed the beams 46, positioned between angles 41, and upon these are layed the floor planks 48.

The Outriggers being movable upwardly and downwardly in short increments, the pitch of the floor is kept small at all times as the various outriggers are moved in substantial unison.

In order to obviate pieces of brick from falling to the street below, the scaffold is formed with a screen 49 between Outriggers, said screen being affixed to uprights 50 on the Outriggers. In addition, an apron 5| may be fixed to the floor 48 to prevent such pieces from falling through the space between the scaffold and the wall.

When a wall is in the process of erection, it is preferred to use the foregoing means for supporting the guide rails. However, where the wall has been already erected, the frames l3 may be replaced by simple means which may be braced between the floor and ceiling positioned against the inner face of the wall to support the guide rail. Where a wall is void of openings (as theatre walls) the scaffolding herein described may be efiiciently employed by building into the wall, means such as botts or hooks upon which the guide rails may be hung. In this manner, the

a use of cumbersome staging and flimsy suspended scaffolding is avoided. It is also apparent that the sides of large ships may similarly be provided with means for supporting guide rails to support outrigger scaffolding.

While the foregoing is quite detailed and descriptive of a desirable form of the invention, it is apparent that skilled persons may vary the construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention as claimed. For this reason, the prior art rather than the instant disclosure should form the basis of interpretation of the scope of the invention.

What is claimed as new and desired to be obtained by Letters Patent, is:

1. Scaffolding comprising a member adapted to be secured to a structure having a Wall with window openings, a portion of said member be ing disposed within a window opening, a sectional guide rail secured to said member and disposed along the outer face of said wall, an outrigger movable vertically along said wall, raising and lowering means for said outrigger secured to said rail and said outrigger, and means on said rail engageable with said outrigger for supporting said outrigger thereon in any adjusted position, said means comprising latch members having ratcheting engagement with said outrigger.

2. In scaffolding of the character described, a scaifold guide rail disposed in vertical relation along the front of the wall of a building structure, said guiderail comprising a plurality of substantially identical rail members removably connected end to end, and means for supporting said guide rail from an inner portion of said building structure, said means comprising a frame member having a portion disposed Within an opening in said wall and provided with means for engagement with the floor structure of said building.

3. In scaffolding of the character described, a vertical rail disposed along the front of the wall of a building structure, said rail being provided with latch dogs, an outrigger movable along said rail and having rungs adapted to coact with said latch dogs to support said outrigger on said rail in any adjusted position, and means for raising and lowering said outrigger in relation to said rail, said means comprising a bracket on said rail, hoist means connected to said bracket, and a chain connecting said hoist means and said outrigger.

4. In scaffolding of the character described, a vertical guide rail disposed along the front of the wall of a building structure, a plurality of latch dogs carried by said rail, an outrigger movable along said rail, said outrigger being provided with rungs adapted to coast with said latch dogs to support said outrigger in said rail, means for raising and lowering said outrigger in relation to said rail, and means for disengaging the latch dogs from said rungs when the outrigger is being lowered.

5. In scaffolding of the character described, a vertical guide rail disposed along the front of the wall of a building structure, a plurality of latch dogs carried by said rail, an outrigger movable along said rail, said outrigger being provided with rungs adapted to coact with said latch dogs to support said outrigger in said rail, means for raising and lowering said outrigger in relation to said rail, and means for disengaging the latch dogs from said rungs when the outrigger is being lowered, said means comprising a hinged member adapted to engage and move the free ends of the latch dogs and a handle for manually moving said hinged member.

6. In a scaffolding of the character described, a vertical guide rail disposable along the front of the wall of a building structure, a plurality of latch dogs carried by said rail, an outrigger movable along said rail, said outrigger being provided with rungs adapted to coact with said latch dogs to support said outrigger in said rail, said latch dogs having their ends normally projected beyond the outer face of the rails, said dogs having stops to contact the outer face of the rail sections to hold the dogs in an upwardly and forwardly directed position, and said dogs having on their free ends means for slidably interengaging a part of the outrigger structure.

MAX MICHELSON. 

